And the winner is...

 It's official...the drawing has taken place...it looks very official doesn't it! My handy blue mixing bowl and all the names written down...

 Don mixes them up really good...he is a great helper...

 He reaches in...and picks.....

Siobhan!! 

Siobhan has a great blog coming all the way from Western Ireland...if you love cross stitch...or even if you don't...you'll be amazed at this gal's talent...you'll find her at Notes from Blue Hen Hollow

I really enjoyed making this bag and as soon as I hear from Siobhan the bag will be on its way to Ireland!

I wish I were going with it!!

On a completely different subject...my dear husband ....picker of all give away winners...is having surgery on his foot on Wednesday...one day before our 32nd anniversary...please keep Don in your thoughts and prayers...I'm sure everything will be fine, but he has a long recovery afterwards...so if you don't see me on here much...it's because I am attending to my beloved Don! Or killing him because he has driven me crazy because he will be reduced to sitting or laying for several weeks!! Kidding aside...I am a bit nervous, but my faith tells me that all will go well!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!

More Road quilts...

 Today I want to show you some more of the beautiful quilts from the Road to California Quilt Show...I am so impressed...these are some more that just spoke to me for one reason or another....love these elephants!!

 The use of fabrics in this one was amazing...it's hard to tell from my picture...but it was incredible!

 I liked the way the shadows worked on this one....

 This one reminded me of a really big Christmas card...

 I would like to be in here...

 And who doesn't just love a red and white quilt...

 This one was amazing...

 Here's a close up of the sleigh...

 I felt like I was in a small town somewhere in Europe here...

 This Day of the Dead was too funny...and there was a lot of 3D here too...

 This quilt was from a picture of Klammoth Lakes...the picture was divided into 8 parts and each part was quilted by a different person...then they put them all together... beautiful!!

 I was lucky enough to meet and take a picture of the designer and creator of this patriotic quilt...it had the Declaration of Independence all around the outside...

This one is a photo quilt and in person it is really much different...she used over 10, 000 yards of thread on it ...it made it pop when I viewed it there...I really liked it...it reminded me of my boys when they were young I think...

There are still more that impressed me...actually all of the quilts were beautiful and so much work put in them...I was very impressed by them all...I have a few more pictures to share with you tomorrow...

Don't forget to sign up for my give away if you haven't already done so...I don't want anyone to miss out...

It is windy here again today...but no matter...I am sewing, so I am happy...

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Road to California Quilt Show

 Last Thursday  went to the Road to California Quilt Show with my sister...it was really crowded...but nice. I took a ton of pictures, but I wanted to show you some of the quilts that I liked a lot...some for no particular reason...other than they were really pretty or unique...this one reminded me of an old painting....

 I loved the bright colors in this one...

 Baby birds...what can I say...too sweet!

 This guy reminded me of the scrub jays that visit my yard every day...

 I just thought this one was so pretty...

 The gal that made this one designed it after an oil painting...it looked like it to me!

 I think this one might just be my favorite...I felt like I could reach out and touch that old sign....

 If you've spent any time in San Francisco...this one was very life like...all that fog turns everything gray!

 This one was just incredible...it had needlepoint...cross stitch and embroidery all worked in there...amazing...

 Here's a close up of one of the blocks...

And another closeup...although now that I look at that one it's a bit blurry...It didn't say how long she worked on this but it had to be a very long time...there was so much going on!

So that's all the pictures for today...I hope you enjoyed them...I will post some more tomorrow....

If you didn't sign up for my Valentine give away...make sure you go back to my last post and enter...the drawing goes until January 28...Good Luck every one!!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Are you ready for a give away....

 Ever since my last give away... I have been wanting to do another one...life got busy and I got didn't get a chance...then I spotted this fabric when I was out shopping and I thought it would make a wonderful bag...for my next give away!!

 I was going to wait until February...but then that's when you'd want to use this tote...

 I love the fabric...after it was done...I even thought I'd keep it for myself...but that's no fun...I want one of YOU to have it...

 Even the silver button has tiny hearts on it...that's kind of a bad close up of the black one though...it's a pretty wooden button...

 Black and cream polka dot lining was the perfect match...I didn't want to go too crazy with the Valentine's theme...

See...lots of pockets too...for all your little necessities...there's also a pocket on the outside back...perfect for your cell phone and keys...anyway...what I'm trying to say...IS...this can be yours...but first you must jump through a few hoops for me!!!

Ha! Ha!! Gotcha there...actually there aren't too many hoops ...but I do like my rules...

1. Be a follower...new or old I don't care...I love all my followers and I try to follow you as well! Any way you get one chance for that...

2. You get a second chance...or really a first chance just by leaving me a comment letting me know you would like to win the bag...I'm so confused...pay no attention...so that's two ways to win so far...

3. Like my Facebook page...I really love my Facebook followers too..and if you are one already...just let me know...

4. Mention my give away on your blog and let me know you did and that will give you another chance...

Whew!!! Now that's not too many rules...is it?? Just make sure that I can reach you by e-mail...if your e-mail isn't on your profile...make sure to include it in your comment...

One last thing...I don't care where you live...you can enter...I have loads of International blogger friends I follow ...I wouldn't want to leave anyone out...

I will leave the drawing open for 10 days...until January 28th...that way I can pick a winner and get it shipped out before the "Month of Love" starts!!

So...what are you waiting for...start jumping...

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Sunshine to share...

 If you know me very well...you'll know that flowers make me smile...I just love them! When I was gardening earlier in the week...I noticed that so many of my daffodils are starting to pop up...they are just a couple inches tall now...so when I went to Trader Joes on Wednesday afternoon...you can imagine my delight when I found some daffodils there...for just a couple dollars for 10 stems!

 Most of them are opened now...they opened this morning...

 They are like a little ray of sunshine in my bathroom...I love fresh flowers in the bathroom!

And they smell really good too!!

Until next time...I share my sunshine with you!

Enjoy the day!!!

Isn't she cute...

 Yesterday I was out in the yard gardening...and I heard a bird noise that I wasn't familiar with...so I went in the house to get my camera...and I walked... oh so quietly around the back yard...and then I spotted her...

 She was way up in the neighbor's tree...a Ladder Backed or Nuttall Woodpecker...as far as I could tell...but then I'm not a birdologist...I just used my handy Birds of North America book...and there she was! It says in California the two are often confused...well...I am generally confused...so I give up...it could be either one!

She was looking for some some good bugs way up there...it says in the book that they don't drill like other woodpeckers...they chip away the old bark...this is the first time I've seen one of these...we usually have the Gila woodpeckers here...boy do they drill into the trees...you should see the scars on my big apple tree!

Anyway...for those of you who don't know me very well...I should let you know that I know that there's no such word as a birdologist...those of you who know me very well know that I tend to make up silly words...well...because I can! I just wanted to clear that up, so you don't think I'm a total moron...I'm just a bit touched ...that's all....and by the way...have you ever seen the word "know" used so many times in a sentence!

It's still cooling off here...this morning it is chilly...although the weatherman says it is still supposed to be in the 70's...will we ever see winter again?? The temps have been great for all the gardening...but I have been too distracted by the nice weather and I am way behind on the inside things I must do...like sewing, and getting my house back in shape after the holiday decor came down...so...

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

I'm keeping busy...

 I've been seeing a lot of red and white out there lately and I thought I'd like to make something red and white too...and since I'm not a quilter...more of a sewer...I thought I'd make my blanket like this! I love to weave these blankets...I have made so many for family, friends, new babies...and Project Linus. I have never made one out of all one color before...I like how it's turning out...

I think it will be a great blanket to snuggle with in February...since February is the month of hearts and love...our anniversary is in February...and if I'm lucky it will be done in time!

In other news...I have been sewing a lot lately...diaper bags...I don't have pictures to show yet...one I delivered without taking any pictures...silly me...another is a gift...so I'll wait and the other is for a client...I'll wait on that one too. As soon as I finish up the last diaper bag I will start making some new bags for my sad looking Etsy shop.

Also, it looks like the weather is trying to cool off a little...it's down to a high of 70 today...it's a 6 degree drop from yesterday. I haven't noticed that it's a bit colder in the mornings...soon winter will return...and some much needed rain I hope! I have been getting a lot of gardening done in this little break from winter though and I like that!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Can you believe it??

 I hope you are all having a wonderful New Year...I've been busy...out in the yard these past couple of weeks...I know I told you all how warm it's been...it's not really unusual for this time of year...it happens just about every year...I mean how many Rose parades have you watched where it's been raining...it just doesn't happen this time of year much. Last year at about this time I was enjoying the hot tubs of Glen Ivy...but don't worry...it will get cold again...well cold for here...and I really would like some more snow in the mountains...and rain here...not that I'm complaining about the nice days we've been having...I'm taking full advantage of the sun...getting lots of vitamin D and a bit of gardening in too!! The thing that is a bit unusual...is this crazy tomato plant...it's huge...still!!

 It looks pretty healthy too...

 And there are still flowers...crazy! Even if it is warm now...it wasn't a month ago...it was cold...but this plant just keeps on going...and I've trimmed it...a lot!

And I even found a ripe tomato hiding inside...crazy! I also have some peppers growing still...but that's not as unusual...this pepper bush in 2 years old! I guess they like the spot they're in...who knows if they will last once the cold of February rolls around...if it does...but for now...I may get a few more tomatoes and peppers...and that's a good thing!!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!

Such a pretty day...

 Today has to be the prettiest day of the year so far...I know...I know ...the year is only 3 days old...but it is perfect Southern California weather...and I am loving it! For the past week I have been gardening every day...cleaning and trimming up everything...

 This morning I decided to go out for a walk ...in shorts...yes...you heard me...it was warm enough for shorts at 9AM this morning...I kept noticing all the little planes flying about...we have a little airport...for little planes...a few miles northeast of our house and a pretty day like today...it gets busy there...I didn't take any pictures of them because while I was outside eating my lunch on the back porch...I was distracted by all the birds and flowers...it doesn't take much to distract me out there...

 So I thought I'd show you a bit of what's blooming in the yard right now...some of the roses bloom just about all year round here...this yellow one is one of them...and there are so many buds right now...

 I have a lot of pansies...this just happens to be one of my favorites...the color is so soft...

 Such a difference from the bright primrose...they are all starting to bloom now...this yellow is so deep...almost orange...

 There's a visitor in the stock flower...looks like a fly...but sort of like a bee too...not sure what it is...but he's welcome here...

 purple primrose are a favorite too...oh...yes...I'm fickle...I love them all!!

 Finally...the much awaited camilia...did I spell that right?? I have two different kinds...I think this one is my favorite...only because the blooms on the other one are so big and heavy that they bend way over and I can't see them unless I cut them...and as much as I love cut flowers...they don't last as long as on the plant...so I don't cut them very often...is that weird??

Here is an open camilia...so pretty...but they bloom for such a short time...on a day like today...it's so hard not to be outside...but I have bags to make...orders to fill...so I unwillingly go inside...but the doors and windows are open, so I can hear the birds playing in the yard...

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!